no-bake cookies

seriously. you can also just eat the batter out of the bowl. who cares.

• 2 cups sugar

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1/2 cup (one stick) salted butter

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 cup peanut butter

• 3 cups instant oats

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cocoa, sugar, milk, and butter. Whisk and bring to a boil for one minute, then remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, peanut butter, and oats.

Drop by generous tablespoon onto baking sheets and flatten slightly. Refrigerate until firm and no longer shiny.

spinach souffle

my favorite holiday side dish. makes roughly 9 small side servings.

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 2 cloves minced garlic

• 1 tbsp melted butter

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese

• 8 ounces farmer cheese

• 1/8 tsp of: salt, pepper, nutmeg

• 2 eggs

• 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

• 1/4 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 325º.

Cook onion and garlic in butter until tender. Combine cheeses, onion and garlic, salt, and pepper. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Blend in spinach.

Pour mixture into greased 9” square baking pan. Sprinkle with paprika and nutmeg. Cover with foil.

Bake for 30 minutes, uncover, and bake an additional 30 minutes.

pasta in squash sauce

you can serve this sauce over any pasta, but it pairs well with ricotta cheese, aka ravioli or tortellini. Serves 4.

• 12 ounces pasta, cooked according to package directions

• 12 ounces frozen butternut squash puree, thawed in the fridge - or 1/2 butternut squash roasted in the oven at 400º for one hour and scooped out

• 15 ounce can diced tomatoes

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 1 bell pepper, diced

• olive oil

• 1/2 tbsp oregano

• fresh basil, chopped

• salt and pepper to taste

• optional: 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

• optional: 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

Saute onion and bell pepper, in olive oil until soft, in a large saucepan. Add squash, tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook until heated through. Add beans.

If using, cook chicken in additional olive oil in a separate pan. Drain and add to sauce. Optional: add two handfuls of baby spinach to the sauce. Serve over cooked pasta.

chicken rotelle

my mom’s go-to. great for leftovers. serves 4 generously.

• 16 ounces rotelle pasta, cooked according to package directions

• 1 small green bell pepper, diced

• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

• 1/2 cup water

• black pepper to taste

• olive oil

• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced

• 1 small onion, diced

• 6 ounce can tomato paste

• 1 tsp basil

• 2 cloves minced garlic

• 2 tsp sugar

Brown the chicken in oil and remove from the pan. Add onion and pepper, and saute until tender. Add crushed tomatoes, water, black pepper, tomato paste, basil, garlic, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Add chicken, cover, and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Serve over pasta.

butter nut balls

also known as snowball cookies. makes 16-20 depending on size of cookies.

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar plus extra

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat the oven to 350º. Mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, flour, and nuts, and mix well. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper if you have it; if not, just don’t grease the pan and you’ll be fine. Bake 12-15 minutes until light brown.

While the cookies are still warm, roll in extra confectioners sugar. When storing, place extra confectioners sugar in the containers as well so the cookies stay coated.